Here is the easiest hook you’ll create for your DTC brand this week.

And it really is so easy to write (in theory).

But requires a little emphatic copy chops to execute tastefully.

I originally wrote this hook for a well-established pet supplement brand. 

And it was instantly the most successful hook out of the entire “batch.”

Since then, I’ve followed this formula for multiple brands, in all kinds of verticals.

And it has become a staple for how I “think” about hooks.

And whenever I’m out of “ideas” for new hooks (happens rarely), I can ALWAYS fall back on this process if needed.

Here is the step-by-step process:

1. You identify your prospect’s WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOME. This should be highly embarrassing, traumatizing, and agonizing for your niche.

2. Write down the nightmare outcome in simple words (but don’t use those words in the ad).

3. Write a variation for the nightmare outcome TASTEFULLY. And there is a way to say everything with taste, no matter how horrible the outcome is.

4. Add a visual that REPRESENTS the nightmare scenario (if doing a video creative).

Let me show you a few examples.

Example #1.

Niche: Pets

Nightmare scenario: Dog dying.

Tasteful rewrite: Empty collar.

Hook: This is what happens when canine anxiety wins, an empty collar and a home that will never feel the same.

Visual: Dog owner holding an empty collar in hand (POV clip).

This is a real hook that ran, and with good results.

You’re essentially saying: empty collar = dead dog.

Which is horrible. 

And extremely morbid. 

Which is why, and I can’t stress this enough, the hook must be executed TASTEFULLY.

And it doesn’t always have to relate back to death. 

It can be a highly embarrassing outcome or something that would make any human go:

“Man, that must SUCK…”

That’s the reaction you’re going for.

If you were to “templatize” the hook formula, it would look something like this:

This is what happens when [big problem happens], [nightmare scenario] and [second wave pain].

Let me show you a few more examples.

Example #2.

Niche: Women’s skincare.

Nightmare scenario: Skin cancer.

Tasteful rewrite: Shaved head.

Hook: This is what happens when choosing the wrong sunscreen, a shaved head and a shattered self-image that will never be the same.

Visual: Bald woman in a hospital bed, getting some type of chemo treatment.

This one is really walking the line of what is acceptable.

After the hook, you TONE IT DOWN.

From there, you might mention how some sunscreens have harmful ingredients in them.

And how important it is to choose the right sunscreen FOR YOUR SKINTYPE.

Or something along those lines. 

You do NOT need to “stick the knife further” and turn your ad into a ClickBank VSL lol.

The rest of the ad is classical direct response. Eventually, you introduce the product you’re selling. Which in this case could be a sunscreen or protective SPF lotion for women over 40.

If you want to make it less explicit, and more compliant, you could say something like:

Hook alternative: This is what happens when botox and fillers go wrong, a shattered self-image and a face that will never look the same. 

Example #3.

Niche: Men’s health

Nightmare scenario: Dick falling off.

Tasteful rewrite: Non-existent love life. 

Hook: This is what happens when a man’s prostate grows too large, a non-existent love life and a loss of what makes a man… a man.

Visual: Split screen: Cutting banana footage + a devastated man sitting on a bed.

This one is pretty self-explanatory.

AWFUL outcome, for any man.

The obvious play here would be to shill a prostate supplement in the ad. 

But it can be anything, really. 

You can flip it into ED, bedroom performance, general men’s health, career success, etc.

The caveat is that it requires some skillful finesse to flip it in a way that 1) makes logical sense and 2) emotionally leads them to purchase.  

Example #4.

Niche: Home security.

Nightmare scenario: Home invasion and children being kidnapped.

Tasteful rewrite: A silent room down the hall. 

Hook: This is what happens when a home has no real security, a silent room down the hall and a family that will never feel whole again.

Visual: An empty kid’s bed + sad music.

I got shivers just writing this. 

So if you’re reading this and you have a home security offer, you’re welcome…

I mean, I just think about this. 

This has to be one of the worst possible nightmares for a family and for a homeowner, right? 

This has to be one of the worst possible nightmares for a family and for a homeowner, right? Obviously yes. But at the same time, if you were to open an ad and blatantly say “children kidnapped” that would just be TOO MUCH. Too horrible. Too in your face. And people would scroll away. But this way, you’re emotionally “hooking” people in. And again, you’re not lingering in this scenario forever. You just open with it, and then transition into the ad about home security. Makes sense?

This formula is applicable to basically every vertical.

You could create variations of these in niches like….

Joint health, blood pressure, hair loss, gut health, feminine hygiene, dating and relationships, financial, menopause, sleep, anxiety, weight loss, diabetes and blood sugar, fertility and pregnancy, pain relief, acne, dental, hearing loss… aaaand the list goes on. 

The opportunities are endless.

And I promise this format will give you a nice little boost to your current hooks.

Namaste.